Alain Vigneault | Center

Latest News

Recent News

Alain Vigneault expressed his gratitude to the New York Rangers after being fired on Saturday.

"I would like to thank the New York Rangers management — Mr. James Dolan, Glen Sather and Jeff Gorton — for allowing me the privilege to coach the Rangers," Vigneault said. "I spent five wonderful years in New York and I want to express my gratitude to all the coaches, players and staff that I worked with during that period of my life. The Rangers have an incredible fan base and I will cherish many special moments, especially our trip to the Stanley Cup Finals. The Rangers are going in a different direction, I respect that and I wish them all the best." Vigneault guided the Rangers to the playoffs in each of his first four seasons with the team and saw them reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2014. This campaign was a rough one though and the Rangers have ultimately started a rebuild as a result. Vigneault has an impressive resume with his 648-435-35-98 career record as a head coach and it wouldn't be surprising to see him get a new head coaching gig for the 2018-19 Apr 9 - 5:13 AM

The New York Rangers have officially fired head coach Alain Vigneault.

The Rangers have embraced a rebuild and they'll have a new person behind the bench. TSN hockey insider Bob McKenzie was the first one to report the news of Vigneault's firing, but the Rangers confirmed the move just before midnight. They finished the season with a 34-39-9 record this year, which isn't too surprising considering they traded away key assets like Rick Nash, J.T. Miller and Ryan McDonagh before the trade deadline. Vigneault accumulated a 226-147-37 record during his five seasons with the team. This is the third team that has let Vigneault walk since 1997. Montreal and Vancouver are the other two. Apr 7 - 11:41 PM

Ruff suffered a concussion and a gash on his head when he fell during yesterday's practice. According to head coach Alain Vigneault, the Rangers assistant will be back with the team tomorrow. Mar 28 - 7:02 PM

The New York Rangers now have three first-round selections for the 2018 draft.

They control their own pick, the Tampa Bay Lightning's, and the Boston Bruins'. The Rangers also have two selections in each of the second and third rounds. They've made some painful trades, but the Rangers certainly have given themselves the chance to assemble a promising group of prospects. "We’re trying to build a team. We’re adding these assets and doing all these things, but listen, there’s a lot of work to be done," Rangers GM Jeff Gorton said. "There’s a lot of players we need to be out there watching, find out what’s going on in the draft, free agency." He's right and it will take years before we know if what the Rangers started over the last week will ultimately pay off. Feb 27 - 5:35 AM

Player News

The New York Rangers have officially fired head coach Alain Vigneault.

The Rangers have embraced a rebuild and they'll have a new person behind the bench. TSN hockey insider Bob McKenzie was the first one to report the news of Vigneault's firing, but the Rangers confirmed the move just before midnight. They finished the season with a 34-39-9 record this year, which isn't too surprising considering they traded away key assets like Rick Nash, J.T. Miller and Ryan McDonagh before the trade deadline. Vigneault accumulated a 226-147-37 record during his five seasons with the team. This is the third team that has let Vigneault walk since 1997. Montreal and Vancouver are the other two.

The New York Rangers now have three first-round selections for the 2018 draft.

They control their own pick, the Tampa Bay Lightning's, and the Boston Bruins'. The Rangers also have two selections in each of the second and third rounds. They've made some painful trades, but the Rangers certainly have given themselves the chance to assemble a promising group of prospects. "We’re trying to build a team. We’re adding these assets and doing all these things, but listen, there’s a lot of work to be done," Rangers GM Jeff Gorton said. "There’s a lot of players we need to be out there watching, find out what’s going on in the draft, free agency." He's right and it will take years before we know if what the Rangers started over the last week will ultimately pay off.

The New York Rangers retired the number 19 Sunday in honor of Jean Ratelle.

'Gentleman Jean' starred for the Rangers in the 60's and 70's and combined with linemates Vic Hadfield and Rod Gilbert to form the GAG line (goal-a-game). The Rangers announced at the ceremony that Gilbert's number 7 and Hadfield's number 19 will be retired and raised to the rafters next season. All-in-all it was an outstanding night at MSG.

With the Rangers signalling that they're going to shift their focus from the present towards the future, the status of Rangers coach Alain Vigneault remains unclear.

The Rangers issued a letter to their fans that essentially signaled the start of the franchise's rebuilding efforts. Afterwards, Rangers GM Jeff Gorton provided further details and he was asked if Vigneault would be back for the 2018-19 campaign. "I wouldn’t want to answer that today," Gorton said. "I don’t want the speculation out there. We have 25, almost 30 games to go. AV is our coach, we have a lot of faith in AV and what he’s done here. We’ll leave it at that." Of course, by refusing to answer the question, Gorton has invited speculation. Vigneault has overseen some great years with the Rangers even if they did ultimately fall shy of their goal of a Stanley Cup championship. This season though has been a clear disappointment and it's raised questions about if the Rangers need a new voice leading the squad going forward. We'll have to see what happens as regardless of whether Vigneault stays on board, the team is going to look significantly different.

The Rangers issued a letter to their fans and while they didn't expressly state that they were in rebuild mode, they talked of acquiring "young, competitive players that combine speed, skill and character" and potentially saying goodbye to familiar faces. The Rangers have made the playoffs for seven straight years, but they haven't gotten past the second round in their last two runs and have just a 25-24-5 record in 2017-18. Under these circumstances, it's reasonable for them to shift their focus towards building for the future.

Don't be surprised if the Rangers are sellers at the NHL trade deadline.

The Rangers are in a very tight playoff race in the Metropolitan Division, however the team has not played well or consistently and management may break up the squad if it feels there is no realistic hope to make or go deep into the playoffs. If the Blueshirts opt to go that route, look for UFAs Michael Grabner and Rick Nash to be dealt and don't be shocked if Ryan McDonagh and Mats Zuccarello, who both have one-year left on their respective contracts, are moved as well.

It's been an up-and-down season for the Rangers so far, but they're exiting the Christmas break in a playoff position.

The Rangers are 19-13-4 this season, which is good for a Wild Card seed. That's impressive given their 1-5-2 start, but the Rangers have also taken a step back recently by going 4-3-2 over their last nine contests. They'll be looking to start the next phase of the season off on a high note with a game against the Washington Capitals on Wednesday. A regulation win would put the Rangers just two points behind Washington with a game in hand.

Rangers coach Alain Vigneault wasn't happy with what he saw out of the Rangers in the first 40 minutes of Thursday's contest.

The Rangers were outshot 38-18 through two periods Thursday night. They held on to at least get a point in a 4-3 shootout loss, but that was largely because goalie Henrik Lundqvist kept them in the contest. "I think the first two periods, we did everything we could to lose that game," Vigneault said. "There was one player that wouldn’t let us lose it, and that was Hank. He played unreal." The loss ended the Rangers' three-game winning streak and placed their record at 19-12-4.

The Rangers will be looking to win consecutive games for the first time this season on Thursday.

New York earned a 6-4 victory against Vegas on Tuesday, but the Rangers will be up against the Eastern Conference leading Tampa Bay Lightning. It will be a tough contest for the Rangers, but at some point they need to string together a winning streak to dig themselves out of this hole. They're 4-7-2 so far. "It's been a tough start to the season," Mats Zuccarello said. "When things don't go your way you start second-guessing yourself. I think it's just important that we got this emotional win (Tuesday.)"

New York is off to a 3-7-2 start and a New York Post report suggested that Vigneault's fate might be sealed if the Rangers lose to Vegas on Tuesday. "It’s not a coaching issue. It’s everyone," Staal said. "Everyone needs to be better. We’re 3-7-2. We’ve got to find a way to win games together, and if you’re not gonna do that together, you’re not gonna turn it around. So we’re all on the same page in that regard of trying to turn this thing around." That's fair, but sometimes changing the coach can reverse a trend. The Rangers have made the playoffs in four straight seasons under Vigneault and got to the second round last season, so perhaps he has more leeway than is currently being suggested. Either way, the Rangers have fallen well below expectations thus far.

Larry Brooks of the New York Post hears that Tuesday's game against Vegas may decide the coaching fate of Alain Vigneault.

Vigneault could be shown the door if the Rangers lose to the expansion team. New York is off to a terrible start at 3-7-2 and are falling further and further behind a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. It should be interesting.

The New York Rangers are enduring one of the worst starts in their franchise's history.

With a 5-4 overtime loss to Pittsburgh Tuesday night, the Rangers are now 1-5-1 this season. That makes them just the second team in franchise history to collect less than four points through seven contests. The last time the Rangers had such a slump was in 1959-60 and they were en route to a 17-38-15 campaign. That's not to say that history will repeat itself, but the Rangers need to stop the bleeding. They'll get another chance to do so against the Islanders on Thursday.

Brian Leetch and Brad Richards are joining the New York Rangers' front office as Hockey Operations Advisors.

Part of Leetch's and Richards' duties will be to aide in the development of the Rangers' prospects. Leetch and Richards bring a massive wealth of experience and success with them, so they should be great assets for the franchise and inspirations for the organization's youngsters to work with.

Depth Charts

Zibanejad's goal at the 7:16 mark of the third period cut the Blue Jackets' lead to 3-2 at the time, but New York was never able to tie it up. The Rangers forward finished the game with a minus-2 rating and team-high five shots on goal in 20:37 of ice time. The 24-year-old has beed red-hot of late, as he's scored five goals in his last three games. He's also accumulated nine points during his five-game point streak. Zibanejad has 25 goals and 43 points in 63 games this season. Kevin Hayes (SHG) and Chris Kreider (PPG) also found the back of the net for the Rangers on Tuesday night.

Kevin Hayes scored a power play goal in Thursday's 2-1 loss to the New York Islanders.

Brady Skjei's shot bounced off the back boards before bouncing to Hayes, who buried it to give his team a 1-0 lead at the time. Unfortunately for the Rangers, they allowed two goals in the second frame and were never able to recover. Hayes has now scored a goal in three consecutive games. He's also riding a five-game point streak and he's accumulated seven points in his last seven contests.

Ryan Spooner found the back of the net in a 3-2 loss to Washington on Wednesday.

That goal was his 40th point in 54 games this season. This is the second time in his career that he's reached the 40-point milestone with the first coming in 2015-2016. He's been particularly effective since being acquired by the Rangers as he has three goals and 15 points in 15 games with New York.

He was born in Russia but moved to North America at the age of eight months as his dad tried to make it as an NHLer. He played 43 games with Vancouver and the Islanders but returned to Russia when Vladislav was nine. Vladislav also had a couple of uncles in the NHL including Slava Kozlov and Ivan Novoseltsev. With all that hockey around him, it was his mom who pushed him into the game. Namestnikov was a first round pick of the Lightning in 2011 and was dealt a week ago to the Rangers. He has 21 goals and 46 points in 65 games this season.

Matt Beleskey will play in this afternoon's regular-season finale against the Philadelphia Flyers.

It'll be his first game since the end of November. Steven Fogarty will also dress while Peter Holland, Paul Carey and David Desharnais will serve as the healthy scratches. Tony DeAngelo (ankle), Kevin Shattenkirk (knee), Steven Kampfer (hand), Jesper Fast (groin) and Cody McLeod (abdomen) will also miss the game.

The Rangers had the eighth-worst record so they dropped a spot as Carolina moved from 11th to second. It will be a big draft for New York as they have three first round picks, picking late in the first round with selections being owed to them from Tampa Bay and Boston. They could turn things around quickly with an outstanding draft and could move up by trading an extra pick or two.

Pavel Buchnevich was dropped from the first line with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider Saturday.

Buchnevich played 17:32 Saturday and was on a line with Jimmy Vesey and Vladislav Namestnikov. He had one shot on goal. "It’s the NHL, it’s the best league. Every player goes through, in a season, some ups and downs," coach Alain Vigneault said before the game. "But we think Butchie has a high skill level and we’re working with him to put it all together." He has 14 goals and 36 points in 61 games this season and is worth taking late in deeper pools next season.

Coach Alain Vigneault said Fast's groin injury could keep him out of the final three games of the season. "I know he's going to try real hard to come back," Vigneault said, "but I would not count on it."

Brady Skjei was on the ice for three even strength goals in a 4-0 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Skjei and Marc Staal combined for a minus-6 rating tonight and were severely outplayed by the Leafs from the moment the puck was dropped. Skjei has 16 points in 51 games this season with a minus-6 rating. He has no fantasy value but is someone to monitor heading into next season.

Sproul has two assists in four games with the Blueshirts this year. He also has 10 goals and 25 points in 44 games with Hartford of the AHL. Tony DeAngelo had an MRI Tuesday morning and the team is awaiting the results.

John Gilmour posted a goal just 1:22 into overtime in Wednesday's victory in Vancouver.

Gilmour picked up a plus-1 rating with a team-high five shots on goal across 21:35 of ice time. He posted six goals and 20 assists over 44 AHL games this season, showing off some offensive skill. Gilmour is worth a look in the very deepest of fantasy pools if you need help along the blue line.

Steven Kampfer will be out for four-to-six weeks because of a fractured hand.

Kampfer has one assist in 22 appearances with the Rangers this season. New York played without fellow blueliners Ryan McDonagh, Marc Staal and Kevin Shattenkirk on Sunday. The team has brought up Ryan Sproul from the minors as another potential fill-in.

O'Gara is with the Rangers after the Boston Bruins traded him on Tuesday. He only got into 11 games over two seasons with Boston as the rest of his time was spent in the minors. Now with the Rangers, he's set to play on a pairing with John Gilmour on Thursday and if he does well enough, he might be able to stick with the club. "It’s no secret that there is [an opportunity] and that there’s time here to prove myself," O’Gara said. "If I can step in and play my game, I think I can get comfortable playing some NHL games and I think it’ll help me a lot moving forward, hopefully solidifying myself in the organization. It’s a clean slate."

Defenseman Neal Pionk will play for the United States at the upcoming World Championships in Denmark.

The tournament will start later this week and the defenseman impressed the American coaching staff enough during his 28 games with the Rangers where he had a goal and 14 points. The 22-year-old was undrafted but signed with the Rangers after a couple of big seasons with the University of Minnesota-Duluth.

The Rangers are looking for their next head coach to be someone who will be able to develop their young players.

The Rangers have made some efforts to rebuild and it will be the next bench boss' job to make the most out of the young talent they have and will acquire through that process. "We’re looking for someone who can develop players and develop a team," executive chairman Jim Dolan said. "We want someone who is going to be able to work with young players — all of our players, really — so that they and we improve from one stage of the season to the next and we’re better at the end of the year than at the beginning." Dolan added that he felt former head coach Alain Vigneault was good for a developed team. It seems though that the Rangers want something different going forward and given the roster they're likely to dress, that makes sense.

Ondrej Pavelec allowed two goals on 22 shots in Thursday's 2-1 loss to the New York Islanders.

Pavelec and the Rangers went into the first intermission with a 1-0 lead, but they allowed the Islanders to score a pair of goals in the second frame. Pavelec has now a 4-9-1 record with a 3.05 goals-against-average and a .910 save percentage this season. He's dropped each of his last two games. The pending unrestricted free agent will likely be looking for a backup job with a new team this off-season.